Yes, it is only 3 games and 9 points, but it really is the manner of the defeats.
KR has said the minimum is play offs. Barnsley will be top 3/4. Fleetwood and in particular Pompey will be pushing play offs.
Where does this leave us? A long way short.
Yes we can improve and I would expect us to over the coming weeks, but the fact of the matter is we are looking totally inept on the field right now.
We currently have issues in every position, as well as looking tactically poor. KR's constant PR spin is fooling nobody who has been at the last 2/3 games.
Tactics:
We are clueless. My take on why.....
Every ball that is put forward is in favour of the opposition defenders. The full backs (in particular Garbutt) are cheating by playing hopeless balls, quite often lofted, which give the CF no chance of bringing it down or doing anything with. Jamie Hanson did exactly the same thing yesterday. Went to get the ball off the full backs and played a first time ball in the air towards Smith which the centre halves deal with ease.
CF is totally isolated. Be it Obika or Smith, they are up against it. Even if they did manage to get the ball under control, they are having to hold on to the ball for ages in order to be supported. Its no wonder we haven't looked like scoring at all in the 3 games so far.
The back 4. No protection whatsoever. The wingers don't sit in to help their full backs who have struggled so far. The central midfielders offer no protection whatsoever. There is noone shielding the defence and there is noone pressing the ball in midfield.
Wingers. Or lack of. Absolutely no width and creativity in the league games so far. Hall had a good cameo against Barnsley but was then woeful vs Fleetwood. Holmes played well Fleetwood when in the 10 but offered little when wide. What happened to KR who said he 'absolutely loves wingers.'
Full backs. While TM was better yesterday, he was terrible the previous two. LG....I don't even know what to say. A boy in a mans game. Get him out of there. Both awfully one footed (I understand you get that at this level). Their passes are telegraphed. They don't have the pace to beat a man. They don't get forward enough. They don't offer enough either offensively or defensively on current evidence.
Players:
Dickie - Looks half the player he was last year. Been bullied every game. Having a torrid time.
Garbutt - Cant defend. Too weak. Looks scared. Worryingly no natural replacement. Yes Ruffles can do a job, but is that really where we are at till Jan?
Brannagan - Waiting for him to have an outstanding game. Will work hard but this young man was raved about. Yet to believe he is better than the quality of central midfielders we've been lucky enough to have had over the last few years (Ledson, Lundstrum, Rothwell, Sercombe).
Mackie - Been dreadful so far. Another who works hard but doesn't know what to do with the ball. Looks unbelievably leggy and slow.
A few other notes: Hanson had a shocking debut yesterday. Goalkeeper didn't fill me with confidence either. Browne doesn't look a natural winger, but we have an abundance of number 10's.
John Mousinho needs to play. Not everyone's cup of tea last year, but does keep the ball well and is a wise old head.
Karl Robinson:
Says he doesn't want to make excuses after making several excuses.
Watches something terrible happen for us and then comes marching out of his technical area.
Spends half the game in the ear of the 4th official, rather than talking to his players.
Has had more than 3 games. He has had since March to get his squad right. He knew in April who he didn't want as the released list came out before the Blackburn game.
Says about all the young players in the squad, but he was the one who brought them in. Remember, just 3 months ago, we had an ageing squad.
Blames injuries to Carruthers, Holmes and Hall - All of which he has worked with before and knows that they have history of getting injured.
Says he loves wingers, then plays without them.
Talks about sticking together and fans getting behind the team. You have given us nothing to cheer and those at Pompey kept singing yesterday.
Has now seen the players hold 2 post match meetings on the pitch after the game. Thats never happened. Has it?
Has slated the back 4 vs Fleetwood, then said he feels sorry for them vs Pompey. Which is it?
Says we are aiming for the play-offs, then bemoans that we are playing away to Barnsley and Pompey and how big their stadiums are. Yeah, they are play off teams. If you are expecting us to be up there, then we need to be at least competing.
Has terrible shoes.
I just want to see some improvement in the next few games. A sign of us wanting to string a few passes together. A sign of players who know what their jobs are in a particular system. Again, it is 3 games. I am not calling for the managers head. I am calling for improvement. I, like a lot of OUFC fans, have spent a lot of money to watch 3 absolutely dire performances which are unacceptable. KR has had lots of time to get this right. Stop talking. Start implementing.
KR has said the minimum is play offs. Barnsley will be top 3/4. Fleetwood and in particular Pompey will be pushing play offs.
Where does this leave us? A long way short.
Yes we can improve and I would expect us to over the coming weeks, but the fact of the matter is we are looking totally inept on the field right now.
We currently have issues in every position, as well as looking tactically poor. KR's constant PR spin is fooling nobody who has been at the last 2/3 games.
Tactics:
We are clueless. My take on why.....
Every ball that is put forward is in favour of the opposition defenders. The full backs (in particular Garbutt) are cheating by playing hopeless balls, quite often lofted, which give the CF no chance of bringing it down or doing anything with. Jamie Hanson did exactly the same thing yesterday. Went to get the ball off the full backs and played a first time ball in the air towards Smith which the centre halves deal with ease.
CF is totally isolated. Be it Obika or Smith, they are up against it. Even if they did manage to get the ball under control, they are having to hold on to the ball for ages in order to be supported. Its no wonder we haven't looked like scoring at all in the 3 games so far.
The back 4. No protection whatsoever. The wingers don't sit in to help their full backs who have struggled so far. The central midfielders offer no protection whatsoever. There is noone shielding the defence and there is noone pressing the ball in midfield.
Wingers. Or lack of. Absolutely no width and creativity in the league games so far. Hall had a good cameo against Barnsley but was then woeful vs Fleetwood. Holmes played well Fleetwood when in the 10 but offered little when wide. What happened to KR who said he 'absolutely loves wingers.'
Full backs. While TM was better yesterday, he was terrible the previous two. LG....I don't even know what to say. A boy in a mans game. Get him out of there. Both awfully one footed (I understand you get that at this level). Their passes are telegraphed. They don't have the pace to beat a man. They don't get forward enough. They don't offer enough either offensively or defensively on current evidence.
Players:
Dickie - Looks half the player he was last year. Been bullied every game. Having a torrid time.
Garbutt - Cant defend. Too weak. Looks scared. Worryingly no natural replacement. Yes Ruffles can do a job, but is that really where we are at till Jan?
Brannagan - Waiting for him to have an outstanding game. Will work hard but this young man was raved about. Yet to believe he is better than the quality of central midfielders we've been lucky enough to have had over the last few years (Ledson, Lundstrum, Rothwell, Sercombe).
Mackie - Been dreadful so far. Another who works hard but doesn't know what to do with the ball. Looks unbelievably leggy and slow.
A few other notes: Hanson had a shocking debut yesterday. Goalkeeper didn't fill me with confidence either. Browne doesn't look a natural winger, but we have an abundance of number 10's.
John Mousinho needs to play. Not everyone's cup of tea last year, but does keep the ball well and is a wise old head.
Karl Robinson:
Says he doesn't want to make excuses after making several excuses.
Watches something terrible happen for us and then comes marching out of his technical area.
Spends half the game in the ear of the 4th official, rather than talking to his players.
Has had more than 3 games. He has had since March to get his squad right. He knew in April who he didn't want as the released list came out before the Blackburn game.
Says about all the young players in the squad, but he was the one who brought them in. Remember, just 3 months ago, we had an ageing squad.
Blames injuries to Carruthers, Holmes and Hall - All of which he has worked with before and knows that they have history of getting injured.
Says he loves wingers, then plays without them.
Talks about sticking together and fans getting behind the team. You have given us nothing to cheer and those at Pompey kept singing yesterday.
Has now seen the players hold 2 post match meetings on the pitch after the game. Thats never happened. Has it?
Has slated the back 4 vs Fleetwood, then said he feels sorry for them vs Pompey. Which is it?
Says we are aiming for the play-offs, then bemoans that we are playing away to Barnsley and Pompey and how big their stadiums are. Yeah, they are play off teams. If you are expecting us to be up there, then we need to be at least competing.
Has terrible shoes.
I just want to see some improvement in the next few games. A sign of us wanting to string a few passes together. A sign of players who know what their jobs are in a particular system. Again, it is 3 games. I am not calling for the managers head. I am calling for improvement. I, like a lot of OUFC fans, have spent a lot of money to watch 3 absolutely dire performances which are unacceptable. KR has had lots of time to get this right. Stop talking. Start implementing.